Storage battery



ec. 25, i945. R. A. DAILY STORAGE BATTERY Patented Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE STORAGE BATTERY 7 Robert A. Daily, Muncie, Ind., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corpo ration of Delaware Original application February 17, 1943, Serial No. 476,183. Divided and this application March 21, 1945, Serial No. 583,985 'I 3' claims. (ci. 13s-177) ing drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a storage battery having sealing compound permanently bonded to the box, cell covers, cell terminals, inter-cell .telfminal connectors, intercell vent members and an end cell vent member.

Figure 2 is a side View of the battery shown in Figure l, certain parts being shown in section, the sections being .taken on lines 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on lines 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a porf tion shown to the right of the center of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

The battery box |20 has its side and end walls shaped to provide shelves or ledges |2| for receiving covers |22 having flanges |23 resting upon the ledges |2|. The cell partitions |24 extend between adjacent cover flanges |23 which closely iit the partitions. The box and covers are shaped to provide side grooves |25, end grooves |26 and intermediate grooves |21 for receiving the sealing co'mpound |28. Each end cover |22 is shaped to provide a circular channel |29v merging with a straightchannel |30 which merges with end grooves |26. The bottoms of channels |29 and |30 are located above the bottoms of the end grooves |26 as indicated at |30a at the upper left-hand corner vof Figure 2. Each circular channel surrounds an end terminal post |3| having a foot |32 connected with a group of batof posts |36 is connected by a strap |38, the top surface of which is belowv the top surface of the covers |22. Each cover |22 has a filler opening |40 closed by a screw plug |4| which is not provided with any vent hole.

yAs shown in Figures 3 and 4, the covers |22 areeach provided with the shallow groove |43 for re ceiving a portion of the lower edge |44 of an acidresisting member |45 having side walls |46 and end walls |41 (Figures 4 and '5).l Member |45 resembles somewhat aninverted boat. Each side wall |46 is provided with a pair of depending lugs |48 separated by a. notch |49 which receives a partition |24, the top edge |24a of which is located below the strap after it has been attached to posts |36. 'The grooves |43 which merge with the grooves |25 and |21 have their bottomsat. a

higher elevation than the bottoms of the grooves tery plates |33. Each of the intermediate grooves |21 merges with a recess |35 Whichsurrounds a terminal post |36 having a foot |31 connected with another group of plates,- not shown, but understood to be hidden by the group |33 in Figure 2. The bottoms of the recesses |35 are flush with the bottoms of grooves |21, and each bottom of recess |35 is provided with a hole for receiving a. terminal post |36. Each adjacent pair |25 and |21. Each groove |43 surrounds a tubular boss |50 through which a. vent passage |5| is provided. Each side wall |46 is provided with a shoulder or ledge |52 and a plate |53, which may be made of acid-resisting metal rubber or other non-metallic acid-resisting material, is pressfitted between the side walls |46 and bears against the shoulders |52. This plate |53 cooperates with the top wall of the part |45 to denne a channel |55 (Figure 4) which connects v the vent passage |5| of one cell cover with the vent passage |5| of the cell cover adjacent thereto.

The right end cell cover |22 isprovided at its lower right-hand corner with a groove merging with grooves |25 and |26 and surrounding e tubular boss |.6| through which a vent hole |62 is formed. An acid-resisting block |65 rests upon the bottom of the groove |60 with the boss l|6| extending into the angular passage |66 provided vided with tubular extension |66 having passage |66 connected with channel |55 of part |45.

Before thecell covers are assembled with the box, the plate and separate groups are placed in cells of the box and then covers |22 are assembledV with the box as shown. Then the straps |38 are placed upon the post |36 as shown and are permanently joined by burning The straps |38 are located above the top edges of the partitions |24 and below the top surface of the covers. Before the parts |45 and |60 are assembled, the grooves |25, |26 and |21 between the box side walls and partitions and the sides ofthe covers, and all of recesses |35, |43 and |60 heretofore described and all of the battery terminal posts I3| and |36 and the straps |38, in fact every surface which is to receive the sealing compound 28 is given a brush coatingof a bituminous sealing compound with a suitable solvent as described in my copending application referred to. After that has been done the undersides of the parts |45 and |60 are coated also with a solution of the sealing compound and the coated parts |45 and |80 are assembled as shown withoutl waiting for the coating to dry.

After all of the coated surfaces of the assembled battery have been allowed to dry in air, the battery passes to a chamber where to rays of infra-red lamps are directed upon the surfaces to receive sealing compound in order to remove any remaining moisture. Following this treatment which lasts for about 36 seconds, the battery passes out into the open where a portion of the sealing compound is poured in so that the seal grooves are about half full. Then the battery passes into the second chamber where the rays of a greater number of infra-red lamps irnpinge upon the grooves, channels and recesses and all of the parts which have been coated, and this treatment is continued for about 72 seconds, Then the battery passes out into the open where the remainder of the sealing compound is poured into the grooves, channels and recesses with the result that the traps |38 are submerged and the surfaces of the sealing compound reach the underside of the plates |53 of parts |45 as shown in Figure 2. Each plate |53 serves the block nfl' the entrance of sealing compound into the groove |55 so that the passage of the battery vapors under pressure from one cell to the other is not obstructed. The application of the precoating of sealing compound provides such a bond between the sealing compound'poured in and the contacted surfaces of the non-metallic and metal parts that all joints are permanently sealed and therefore are leak-proof. An effective seal is provided not only between the cell covers and the sides and partitions of the box, but also an effective seal is provided around each terminal post so that battery liquid cannot escape. The bond is of such nature that when the battery is subjected to severe vibration, as in an automobile or airplane or tank, the seal is not disrupted.

The sealing method, which is described in more detail in my copending application referred to, can be used in sealing containers and covers made of rubber and substances other than rubber, such as glass, enamelled steel and molded plastic cornpounds, particularly thermal setting plastic compounds which are acid-resisting.

If the plastic compound has a high melting point, it is possible to omit the infra-red treatment and yet obtain a satisfactory bond between the compound and the precoated metallic and non-metallic parts, because the heat of the melted compound is sufficient to cause it to fuse with the precoating layer of the compound and to expel traces of the solvent used in the precoating solution. If a compound having relatively lower melting point is used, the precoated surfaces should be heated in the manner disclosed. It is certain that, when the infra-red ray treatment is used, a satisfactory bond will be obtained for both types of sealing compound.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form,

' it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A storage battery comprising a ybox having a plurality of cells, covers for the cells providing cell vents, intercell vent bodies connecting the vents in the covers, a terminal cell vent body connected Wth a vent in a cover, said covers having grooves receiving portions of the vent bodies and sealing compound in the grooves permanently bonded to the vent bodies and covers, said sealing compound having anchorage portions locked into the pores of the contacted surfaces of the vent bodies and covers.

2. The method of making a storage battery including a box'having partitions forming a plurality of cells, which comprises the steps of placing plate groups having terminal posts in the cells, placing covers over the plate groups, said covers having been shaped to provide sealingcompound-receiving grooves at the joints between the covers and the sides, ends and partitions of the box and to provide holes for receiving the terminal posts and to provide sealing-compoundreceiving grooves surrounding the posts and in communication with the first-mentioned grooves of the covers and to provide vent passages through tubular bosses surrounded by sealingcornpound-receiving grooves which are in communication with'A the first-mentioned grooves of the covers, attaching intercell connectors to adjacent terminal posts, coating all posts, intercell connectors and surfaces of sealing-compoundreceiving grooves with a solution of sealing compound with a volatile solvent in order to carry the sealing compound into the pores of the contacted surfaces and to expel the -air therefrom, coating vent bodies with said solution of the sealing compound, said vent bodies having been shaped to connect with tubular vent bosses of the covers and which are provided with edges received by the grooves surrounding the tubular vent bosses, placing the vent bodies upon thev covers with their last-mentioned grooves receiving coated edges of the vent bodies, drying the coating, and pouring into the grooves a, heated sealing compound.

3. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of cells and cover therefor, the covers and cells providingV sealing-compound-receiving grooves extending substantially below the top surfaces of the covers, vents for the covers surrounded by annular bosses provided by the covers, the bosses being surrounded by shallow grooves in the covers extending below the top surfaces of 'the covers and communicating with the groovesrst mentioned, an intercell vent connector provided by an inverted boat-like body having its lower edge portion received by the grooves surrounding the vent bosses of adjacent covers and by adjacent ones of the grooves nrst mentioned and having its top wall located above the upper surface of the covers` sealing-compound received by all the grooves and extending to the top wall ef the covers, and a baffle plate carried by the connector and located in spaced relation to the top wall thereof to provide a passage connecting adjacent cell vents.

ROBERT A. DAILY. 

